Maternal Instinct
by Persiana13
Summary: Takes place after Flames of Anger.  Circe, desperate to protect her child Lyta, goes to the one woman that can help her.  Part of the DC Persiana-verse.  One Shot


**Maternal Instinct **

_Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to DC or Marvel. _

One Shot 

Hyppolyta looked out at the blue sea and sky. Today was like any other day on Themysciria; the weather was warm, the sun was shining. Having been brought to much colder region, the queen of the Amazons had learned to appreciate the more temperate climate on the island. She had had enough frozen glaciers and forests to last quite some time.

Hyppolyta was quite fascinated with the Asgardians. She had always heard stories, but the blonde queen never imagined actually visiting such a place. Hyppolyta would have to invite Sif to Themysciria some time. She was positive the goddess of warriors would find herself amongst honored kin.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Hyppolyta beckoned,

"You may enter."

The door opened and Phillipus, captain of the guard, bowed,

"My queen, I am glad you have returned safely."

Hyppolyta nodded,

"Please, rise."

Phillipus rose from her bended knee and the queen said,

"You do not have to feel responsible for what happened. Our Amazon sisters fought bravely for the defense of our nation. Though I was captured, Diana and Donna rescued me, and I am eternally grateful for that."

Phillipus shook her head,

"But, what of the man Thor? Surely he was brought here by Diana."

Hyppolyta shook her head,

"I disagree, sister. While Thor is a man, he is also a god, and an honorable warrior. The enemy he has fought, this Ulik, had come because of Loki. Thor could sense where Loki is and, seeing the mischief caused by him, discovered Ulik's presence as well."

Phillipus pressed her lips together,

"Very well, but I still do not trust him. Thor makes me feel…uneasy."

Hyppolyta smiled,

"If it makes you feel any better, Thor is not immortal. He will live for a long time, but he will die eventually."

Phillipus nodded slightly,

"I see. Your Highness, if you please; the others wish to celebrate your return."

Hyppolyta said,

"Of course. Please, lead the way."

**Later… **

In the throne room, the other Amazons had gathered and were waiting for the queen to arrive. They were all eager to hear the stories of Asgard and the man with the hammer Thor. Some had seen him in the flesh, others had heard stories. Thor and the Asgardians was the talk of many of the warriors. Some were fascinated by Thor, others seemed to dismiss him as a man. But, everyone wanted to know more. From Donna's stories, the Asgardians were incredible fighters. Many wished to test their skills against them, especially the one called Sif.

From the shadows, a robed figure was watching. She adjusted her hair, which had a purple hue about it. The figure snickered,

"Here she comes."

Hyppolyta and Phillipus both entered, and a resounding cheer came from the room, as the Amazons were glad their queen had returned. Hyppolyta stood before the crowd,

"Sisters, I am thankful that you have received me so warmly. And, I am grateful to be your queen."

There was another applause. Hyppolyta tried not to show any emotion as it continued, but she wished she could respond with the same adulation.

Once the cheering had stopped, however, the robed figure with purple hair applauded nonchalantly. She said,

"And another chapter in the life and legacy of Queen Hyppolyta comes to a close."

The robed figure removed her cowl, letting everyone see her face. Hyppolyta gasped,

"Circe!"  
Circe grinned, admiring her nails,

"Nothing personal, but I'll wait for the movie, thank you very much."

The other Amazons drew their weapons and got ready to attack. Circe shook her head,

"Oh, come on. What have I done to deserve this type of welcome?"

The look on Hyppolyta's face said it all. The immortal sorceress blinked,

"OK, so I might have tried to destroy you once or twice, but…can't we all be friends?"

Phillipus sneered,

"You are no friend, monster."

Hyppolyta said,

"Circe, why are you here?"

Circe shook her head,

"First, tell everyone here to leave. It's better if you and I just talk."

Hyppolyta thought for a moment. Normally, Circe would have legions of monsters and undead warriors with her, as if to invade Themysciria. This time, Circe was all alone. What was going on?

The queen ordered,

"Leave us."

Phillipus objected,

"Your Highness, I cannot allow you to be alone with this witch! She may attempt an abduction and you have just returned."

Circe raised her eyebrow,

"Don't you think, if I wanted to take the queen, I'd have more troops with me?"

Phillipus growled,

"This is a trick! You cannot-."

Hyppolyta raised her voice,

"Enough!"

There was a silence that filled the hall quickly. Hyppolyta said,

"I will speak with Circe…alone. You are all dismissed."

The Amazons reluctantly left, but all of them kept their eye on Circe, and their hands on their weapons. Once the door closed, a little child appeared. She had shorter hair, but it was the same purple hue as her mother. Circe shook her head,

"Lyta, what did I tell you?"

Hyppolyta was surprised,

"Who is that?"

Circe said,

"That's Lyta, my daughter."

Hyppolyta looked again. The hair and eyes were very close, suggesting mother and daughter relationship. Circe said,

"Lyta, go play where Mommy can see you, OK?"

Lyta nodded, giggling. She ran off to a corner of the palace and, conjuring up some blocks, began playing.  
Hyppolyta shook her head,

"You remind me of myself, and how Diana and Donna were handfuls."

Circe folded her arms,

"Listen, queenie. I came here because, well…I need help. I don't know how to raise a child, and, after what happened, I realize you're the only person that can help me." (1)

Hyppolyta was skeptical,

"It is very unusual for you to be asking for help, especially when you and I have known each other for centuries."  
Circe shook her head and sat down on the steps to the throne,

"I don't expect to be fully trusted, I get that. I also don't expect you to be forgiving to me or what I've done. I came here because…you're a mother, and you've dealt with something like this. I thought being a mother was simple, but after having this child…it's not. I mean, I don't know how to raise her. I've taught her some magic, but I'm afraid I might lose her again."

Hyppolyta came near the sorceress,

"You wish for her to be trained as a warrior, to defend herself."

Circe said,

"Is it really that obvious? I trusted Balleros to watch her, and he turns Lyta, my daughter, over to a sadistic scientist. No, I won't trust anyone else with my child, and I won't have my child be helpless again. I need her to learn how to defend herself so it doesn't happen again."

Hyppolyta thought about this for a moment. This was a side of her Hyppolyta had never seen in Circe before. In a way, the queen could see Circe's point.

Finally, Hyppolyta said,

"I will have her trained…under two conditions."

Circe could not believe it. She said,

"What is it?"

"You are never to attack Themysciria again. And, Lyta must live on Themysciria."

Circe blinked at the words of the queen of the Amazons. They were pretty hefty demands. She wanted to ask about Diana and Donna, but felt like she should not ask that. Circe said,

"Fine, but I get to see her and train her in the use of magic. How she uses it will be completely up to her when she gets older."

Hyppolyta nodded,

"I accept that."

Circe then walked over to her daughter. Lyta looked up and noticed her mother's eyes watering. Lyta asked,

"Mommy, is everything all right?"

Circe bent down and hugged her daughter. She said,

"Lyta, I'm going to leave you here for a while, OK? I want you to do whatever your Aunt Hyppolyta says. She's going to train you to fight."

Lyta hugged her mother tightly.

Hyppolyta looked at the sight and thought to herself,

_Maybe, someday, this ridiculous war between Circe and Themysciria will end, and Circe can finally see that it is a pointless battle. _

End of One Shot

(1) Please Read Crimes of Passion for details


End file.
